ENHANCING EDUCATION QUALITY PROJECT

Executing agency

1. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MOEYS) is the Executing Agency for the project preparation (EEQP 1 PPTA TA-4823 CAM). A Steering Committee was established, chaired by a Secretary of State from MOEYS and included a representative from the Ministry of Economics and Finance (MEF). To facilitate collaboration, between MOEYS and the technical assistance, a task force and seven technical working groups (TWG) were formed.

Technical services

2. Cambridge Education Ltd. of the United Kingdom in association with SDC Consulting Co. Ltd. of Cambodia has been contracted by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to provide technical assistance to the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) for the preparation of the Enhancing Education Quality Project (EEQP). The provision of technical services commenced on schedule on the 22nd November 2006 and completed on 21 July 2007.

Objectives of the technical assistance

3. The objectives of the technical assistance were to assist MOEYS in a review of areas that support quality in education. This review has included an assessment of institutional, management and technical capacity of institutions and MOEYS departments specifically responsible for teacher training, curriculum development, textbook provision and student performance and examinations. In addition attention was paid to those departments and offices (central, provincial and district) responsible for information systems, finance and planning. Following the review the TA assisted the MOEYS in preparing this project feasibility report. The project design is summarized in section 5.0 and Appendix 1. More details of activities are included in Appendix 2.

Consultation with government and development partners

4. Various approaches were used during the review and analysis phase to consult MOEYS stakeholders at the central, provincial, district and college/school levels, other projects and development partners (Appendix 3). Approaches included document review, interviews with a wide range of people, participation in meetings, task force and technical working group meetings, visits to relevant institutions and two national workshops. During the planning stage a two-day workshop on developing a Design and Monitoring Framework (DMF) was held to begin the project design phase. The second national workshop reviewed the draft Design and Monitoring Framework. Reports of these workshops are included in Appendix 4.

Working papers

5. A number of working papers were prepared by the technical assistance team. These papers are listed in Appendix 4 and collected together in the CD Rom contained in this report.

6. Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy and its constitution provides for a multiparty democracy. The Royal Government of Cambodia, formed on the basis of elections internationally recognized as free and fair, was established on September 24, 1993. The King is head of state; and an appointed prime minister forms a government. The bicameral legislature consists of an elected National Assembly and a Senate. The judiciary includes a Supreme Court, an Appeal Court and lower courts. The country is divided into 20 provinces (khett, singular and plural) and 4 municipalities (krong, singular and plural). There are further subdivisions into districts (srok), communes (khum), villages (phum) and islands (koh).

7. Consolidating rapid growth over the 2004-2005 period, the Cambodian economy expanded strongly in 2006, reflecting robust clothing exports, tourism receipts and construction activity. GDP growth in 2006 was estimated at 10.4 percent, consolidating double-digit growth of the two previous years. The upturn was buttressed by stronger industrial production and robust expansion in services and construction activity. In industry, clothing and textile exports grew by an estimated 32 percent in volume terms as manufacturers took advantage of temporary safeguard measures imposed against clothing exports for a number of countries including China. Construction activity remained relatively strong due to a boom in residential and commercial buildings in urban centers like Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Growth in services was bolstered by solid increases in tourist arrivals. Agricultural production expanded by a stronger than expected 4.4 percent from the record levels achieved in 2005. This was mainly the result of an increase in land under irrigation.

8. The economic growth rate is forecast to average over 9 percent in the next two years based on key assumptions that include: (i) the RGC continuing to implement its National Strategic Development Plan 2006-2010, which aims to achieve interim targets of the Cambodia Millennium Development Goals; (ii) continued strong performance in agricultural production including diversification of crops and continued robust growth in construction activities, tourism and garment sectors; (iii) no slackening of the RGC's continued reform program and donor support to these reform efforts especially in improving governance and accelerating structural changes; and (iv) continued political stability and favorable environment for business and investments.

9. In the medium term, the economy is expected to remain resilient with strong diversification in non-agricultural growth and average overall growth is expected to be about 6-7 percent over the medium term. The projected medium-term trends of the Cambodian economy include: (i) garment exports, construction and tourism continuing to underpin buoyant economic activity in the near term but decelerate in the medium-term as the private sector begins to diversify to a broader set of industrial activities. The temporary safeguards imposed by the U.S.A. and the European Union (EU) against Chinese garment exports for the next 2-3 years are expected to help the industry adjust to the heightened competition from low cost producers; (ii) overall agricultural output remaining resilient with sustained progress in crop diversification and expansion of agro-industry and agribusinesses. The policy commitment to rural reforms, in particular increasing irrigation and land allocation, should lead to better agricultural performance. The increase in agricultural productivity and diversification of crops is expected to continue and provide further impetus to the strong growth momentum in agriculture; (iii) inflation will ease to about 5 percent as higher oil prices would impede a more rapid decline. In the medium term, the inflation rate is expected to decline to the level of 4.2 percent in 2007, 3.5 percent thereafter.

10. Total population in Cambodia at year-end 2006 was estimated at 14 million people 2 , increasing from 11 million people in 1994. With an average annual growth rate of 1.8 percent, the population is projected to increase to over 15 million people in 2010. Cambodia's population is generally young, with 34 percent between the ages of 014 years, 62.4 percent between the age of 15-64 years and only 3.6 percent aged 65 years and over. The dependency ratio 3 to the population in the age group (15-64) is 74.0, 59.7 and 76.8 for the whole kingdom, urban areas and rural areas respectively. The sex ratio (male/female) at birth is 1.05, under 15 years 1.02, 15-64 years 0.94 and 65 years and over 0.61. Such a ratio for the whole population is 0.95 and those for urban and rural areas are 0.96 and 0.95 respectively.

11. GDP per capita is US$ 385 4 in 2005 increased from US$ 288 in 2000. About three fourths or 74.2 percent of the employed population work in agriculture, 18.8 percent in the service sector and only 7 percent work in the manufacturing sector. Just 0.2 percent of workersare employers (or self-employed) and 13 percent are paid employees. Most of the workers are own-account workers or unpaid family workers.

12. The labor force has 7.6 million persons, or 54 percent of the total population (14 million). As children aged 0-6 years are not considered to be economically active and only small percentages of those aged 7-14 years are in the labor force, the labor force participation rate is higher when only older ages are considered. Thus, 65.5 percent of the population aged 7 years and over and 83.7 percent of the population aged 15 years and over are economically active. Male labor force participation rates exceed those of females but because females constitute 51.7 percent of the total population they outnumber males marginally in the labor force. Male and female labor activity rates are almost the same. The activity rate in urban areas is 51.2 percent for males and 46.4 percent for females, while in rural areas the activity rate for males and females is 55.7 and 56.6 percent, respectively. The lower rate for males is mainly attributable to the larger number of males under age 15 and, thus, mostly not active.At young ages between 15 and 19 higher proportions of girls than boys are in the labor force.

13. Although labor force participation rates are high, a significant proportion of the labor force is unemployed. Overall, 7 percent of the labor force is unemployed and the unemployment rate is 6 percent in urban areas. According to the Cambodia InterCensal Population Survey (CIPS) 2004 carried out by the National Institute of Statistics (NIS), it appears to be more difficult for females than males to find employment in urban areas. The overall unemployment rate of females is 6.7 percent, compared with 7.6 percent among males. In rural areas the unemployment rate of males is marginally higher than the rate for females. But in the urban areas, the opposite trend is noticed. Also according to the CIPS 2004, the unemployment rates for the literate and illiterate persons are 7.3 and 5.0 percent respectively at the country level. The unemployment rate for urban literate and illiterate people are 6.1 and 8.1 percent respectively. The unemployment rates in rural areas are 8.1 and 4.8 percent for literate and illiterate people respectively. This indicates that in rural areas the population finds it a little more easy to get a job even though they are not literate owing to the casual nature of agriculture production. It is also noticed that the higher the educational level the lower is the unemployment rate, except for undergraduates and graduates. This is the case for both urban and rural areas. Unemployment rates for literate males and females at the national level are quite similar in percentage with 7.9 and 7.3 percent respectively. Unemployment rates for women in urban and rural areas are the same and unemployment rates for literate men in urban areas are lower than rural areas.

14. Cambodia's poverty headcount is estimated at 35 percent, i.e., 35 percent of the population is estimated to have been living under the national poverty line. One of five Cambodians lives under the food poverty line. Poverty was considerably higher in rural areas (39 percent) than urban areas (25 percent in urban areas other than Phnom Penh where it was 5 percent).

15. Poverty in Cambodia is overwhelmingly a rural phenomenon. According to the Cambodia 2004 Socio-Economic Survey, 91 percent of the poor lived in rural areas. The rural areas of the Tonle Sap and Mountain/Plateau regions experience both the highest poverty headcounts and the most pronounced poverty severity. Poverty headcount measures in rural Tonle Sap and rural Mountain/Plateau regions were 45 percent and 56 percent, respectively. Poverty severity measures in both regions were about twice the national average. Over 40 percent of the nation’s total poor live in the Plain region and about 50 percent live in the Tonle Sap and Mountain/Plateau regions.

16. In terms of occupational profile, households with heads engaged in agricultural activities or employed as domestic workers, experience the highest incidence of poverty (averaging over 40 percent) and the worst poverty severity. Households in which the head of household was employed in one of these two occupations together account for almost two thirds of all the poor in Cambodia. The occupational group which enjoys the lowest poverty incidence was that of households headed by an individual working in the public sector.

17. Poor households have higher dependency burden and lack human capital. They tend to be uneducated, unskilled and unhealthy. The poor, particularly the extreme poor are concentrated in rural and remote areas, with limited access to roads, markets and basic services. They also lack secure land tenure and access to irrigation facilities. Critical problems for the urban poor revolve around security of housing rights and opportunities for gainful income generation or employment. Many in the squatter settlements claim tenancy rights with limited right to some services but lack secure housing tenure and are vulnerable to evictions.

18. The overall financing of the education system is still heavily reliant on households’ private contributions to both direct and indirect education costs. Although various surveys vary widely in their estimation of these costs, even conservative socioeconomic surveys report that on average, unofficial monthly school fees are KR3,500 (US$ 0.9), KR8,000 (US$ 2) and KR10,200 (US$ 2.5) per student at primary level, lower secondary and upper secondary level respectively. These do not include costs for other incidentals for other incidentals such as uniforms, stationery, etc.

19. The Cambodia 2004 Socio-Economic Survey indicates that educational expenses per student for one school year include school fees, tuition, textbooks, other school supplies, gifts to teachers and contribution to building funds. Households estimate educational expenses at KR 50,000 (US$ 12.5) for pre-school and primary school students, KR 393,000 (approximately US$ 100) for secondary schools, KR 1.1 million (US$ 275) for technical/vocational schools and KR 2.1 million (US$ 525) for universities.

20. Recent surveys also highlight that households (especially more affluent households in urban centers) are willing to pay substantially for high quality education. The Cambodia 2004 Socio-Economic Survey also indicated that parents are willing to pay 10 times as much for quality private schooling, particularly at the secondary level. It appears that parents judge that the greater guarantee of access to competitive post-secondary education (especially the elite university faculties) represents a worthwhile investment.

21. However, this largely unregulated private financing of education has resulted in a potential education/poverty trap. For example, the representation of the poor is much greater in the primary student population than in the secondary or tertiary student population. This is particularly true of Cambodia, where 20percent of primary students but only 2 percent of upper secondary students are drawn from the poorest 20 percent of the population. In contrast, 61 percent of the upper secondary students in the country come from the richest 20 percent of the population. The representation of the poor in tertiary education is zero, while the richest 20 percent of the population accounts for 57 percent of tertiary education.

22. The above analysis raises a number of key financial planning and management issues. First, there is a strong argument for devoting a large share of public resources for primary education where the poorest are most represented. Second, to assure reduced cost barriers to secondary education, the level of formal and informal payments to schools and teachers needs to be contained to affordable levels and better regulated. In some instances, there may be a case for selective fee waivers for primary and secondary education.

23. Another contributing factor in this education/poverty trap is the demand for school age children, often girls, to contribute to household chores and household income generation. For example, in a recent survey, it was estimated that of the 1.6 million school age children not attending full time, around 25 percent stated household income/work responsibilities as the primary factor. In contrast, only 8 percent of the sample cited lack of suitable, accessible education provision as the primary barrier.

24. The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) vision for education, as stated in its draft Education Policy is that all children and adults will have equitable access to education of sufficient quality to empower them to break the poverty cycle, to improve their quality of life, and to participate effectively in national development. ADB’s poverty reduction strategy also calls for support for provision of basic services, including education, as a key poverty reduction measure.

25. Over time, ADB’s strategy for the education sector in Cambodia has evolved to emphasize strengthening the investments made during past projects and build upon them to move towards more integrated support for the education sector.ADB has provided substantial support to education. With the first Education Sector Development Program (ESDP I), approved in 1999, ADB provided program support for the Government’s priority action program and for expanding access to primary education. It also provided support for curriculum development and textbooks. ESDP II, approved in 2004, continued the support for policy reforms but shifted support for expanding access to lower secondary education, and upper secondary education through school facilities development. ESDP II also included technical assistance for planning for secondary education development. ADB has also supported policy reform and governance and regulatory reform for decentralization of education through an advisory technical assistance linked to ESDP II. ADB has also provided assistance for expanding access to primary education for children from disadvantaged areas and for upgrading primary schools that do not offer a full five year cycle of primary schooling. ADB’s support to the education sector has been fully consistent with Government priorities as enunciated in the ESP and the ESSP. The proposed Project will provide much needed support for system-wide strengthening of institutional capacity for quality education. It will also expand and strengthen secondary education which is increasingly being recognized as key to national economic development.

26. As mentioned earlier Cambodia has an estimated population of just over 14 million and a population growth rate of 1.8 percent. In the 2006/07 school year there were 9,018 schools with 80,733 classes. In these schools 3,387,310 students studied, 1,574,900 of the students were girls. 77,794 teachers, of which 32,068 were women, taught them. 5 The schools served the 2,530,000 households that make up 13,406 villages, 185 districts, 24 provinces including the 4 municipalities 6

27. To deliver education services the system has a number of levels starting with preschool for children aged from 3 to 5. Basic education covers a 9-year period with primary school covering grades 1 to 6 and lower secondary from 7 to 9. Entry to the upper secondary level (grade 10) follows a national examination at the end of grade 9 and finishes with a national examination at the end of grade 12 (Appendix 5). Technical and vocational education training programs run parallel to the upper secondary programs at grades 10,11 and 12 and the higher education programs run at various universities and institutes that provide education for grade 12 graduates. Running parallel to formal education provision are opportunities in the non-formal sector. Vocational training is the responsibility of the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training.

28. Teacher education is provided through national, regional and provincial providers. The National Institute of Education (NIE) runs programs training university graduates to become upper secondary teachers. The NIE also trains educational administrators. Lower secondary teachers are trained at regional teacher training centers (RTTC) and primary teachers are taught at provincial teacher training colleges (PTTC). A teacher training institution in Phnom Penh trains pre-school teachers (PSTTC). It is intended that the resource centers built under the ADB funded Education Sector Development Project (ESDP I) will function as mini-PTTCs in provinces without PTTCs. In all institutions 7,261 teachers were in training of whom 3,034 were women 7, for the academic year 2005-2006 8

29. Demand for additional teachers is projected for the lower secondary and upper secondary levels in the Kingdom of Cambodia for the 2007-2015 period. Although the focus is on lower secondary and upper secondary levels, the projections for primary levels are also presented due to their transitional features. Teacher demand projections are based on projected annual enrollment by education levels, target

5 2006-2007 Education and Statistics MOEYS Phnom Penh

6 2002-06 Education Indicators MOEYS Phnom Penh

7 Data from TTD,MOEYS approved 9th March 2007, TA 4823 CAM document D12 Consolidated Reports of TA Team

8 Data from TTD,MOEYS approved 9th March 2007, indicates total enrollment for 2006-2007 is 8880 (4019 women) pupil - class ratio (PCR), attrition rate, teacher turnover rate and teacher retirement rate. Summary projection results are outlined below and detailed results can be found in Appendix 6.

30. At the primary education level, total additional teachers needed for the period from now to 2015 will be 30,384 primary teachers, if all the assumptions hold and other things remain constant. In particular, the total new primary teachers needed are broken down as follows: 2,346 teachers for 2006/07, 1,462 teachers for 2007/08, 2,401 teachers for 2008/09, 3,891 teachers for 2009/10, 4,309 teachers for 2010/11, 4,423 teachers for 2011/12, 4,121 teachers for 2012/13, 3,830 teachers for 2013/14 and 3,600 teachers for 2014/15.

31. Lower secondary school (LSS) teacher projections are produced in two scenarios: (i) Scenario 1 - based on pupil-class ratio and weekly teaching hours per teacher; and (ii) Scenario 2 - based on staff norms. The two scenarios yield different results. Scenario 1 indicates a total teacher demand of 43,217 and scenario 2 a total teacher demand of 39,797. Mean variance between the two scenarios is 380 or just less than 1 percent of the total projected number of teachers in any of the two scenarios. In this regard, averaging of the projected figures in both scenarios would make the projections of LSS teacher demand more precise. The results indicate a total shortfall of 41,507 LSS teachers from 2007 up to 2015. Annual additional LSS teacher demand is broken down as follows: 8,428 teachers for 2006/07, 4,880 teachers for 2007/08, 2,292 teachers for 2008/09, 2,125 teachers for 2009/10, 2,106 teachers for 2010/11, 3,899 teachers for 2011/12, 5,518 teachers for 2012/13, 6,313 teachers for 2013/14 and 5,947 teachers for 2014/15.

32. Upper secondary school (USS) teacher projections are again produced in two scenarios: (i) Scenario 1 - based on pupil - class ratio and weekly teaching hours per teacher; and (ii) Scenario 2 - based on staff norms. The two scenarios yield different results. Scenario 1 indicates a total teacher demand of 37,272 and scenario 2 a total teacher demand of 34,907. Mean variance between the two scenarios is 263 or just less than 0.8 percent of the total projected number of teachers in any of the two scenarios. Again, averaging of the projected figures in both scenarios would make the projections of USS teacher demand more precise. It is indicated that total additional demand for USS teachers during the 2007-2015 period is 36,090 USS teachers. Annual additional USS teacher demand is broken down as follows: 4,763 teachers for 2006/07, 2,328 teachers for 2007/08, 2,913 teachers for 2008/09, 3,748 teachers for 2009/10, 4,337 teachers for 2010/11, 3,814 teachers for 2011/12, 3,852 teachers for 2012/13, 4,098 teachers for 2013/14 and 6,237 teachers for 2014/15.

33. Summing up the projected demand in the lower and upper secondary school levels produces an aggregate shortfall of 77,596 secondary school teachers from 2007 to 2015. The annual additional secondary teachers required are as follows: 13,190 teachers for 2006/07, 7,208 teachers for 2007/08, 5,205 teachers for 2008/09, 5,873 teachers for 2009/10, 6,442 teachers for 2010/11, 7,714 teachers for 2011/12, 9,370 teachers for 2012/13, 10,410 teachers for 2013/14 and 12,184 teachers for 2014/15.

34. As far as elective subject system for Grade 11 and 12 is concerned, it would help to project teacher demand on a subject basis. However, it is not possible due to the uncertainty what the system will bring about when it comes to actual implementation. It is important to note that there will be a shortfall of teachers for high-demand subjects while it is not possible to plan well ahead (at least in the area of teacher training) due to the demand-of-choices uncertainty. Also, the scale of USS in Cambodia is not large enough to be able to achieve synergies (i.e., economies of scale) in teacher capacity utilization and other resources as may be the case in other places. Best practices show positive results of elective subject systems to the national economy, but the application of this system needs two preconditions: (i) scale of schools large enough to achieve synergies; and (ii) user willingness to pay, strong enough to recover at least operating costs. Both preconditions are not in existence in Cambodia and will take some time for them to be established and sustainable. In this regard, the elective subject system for Grade 11-12 is not resource efficient in the short term and this policy issue may need to be revised.

35. In the Education Statistics and Indicators 2006/2007 (MOEYS 2006) secondary schools (colleges and lycées) and school levels (lower and upper secondary) are defined. The 846 colleges are lower secondary schools with grades 7 through 9. However some lower secondary schools may not have all three grades. The 283 lycées are upper secondary schools with grades 10 through 12 but some also have lower secondary grades. Statistics relating to the lower secondary level are collected from all schools that have grades 7 to 9 (911 schools) and statistics relating to the upper secondary level are collected from all schools with grade 10 to 12 (283 schools).

36. In 2006/07 at the upper secondary level there were 222,271 students (88,701 girls) studying in 4,303 classes being taught by 6,688 teachers (1,956 females). At the lower secondary level there were 626,005 students (285,669 girls) in 11,783 classes being taught by 18,579 teachers (6,070 females) 9. More details are given in Appendix 7.

37. Two major interventions funded by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank are rapidly changing the scale of access to secondary education in support of the Education Strategic Plan (ESP) 2006-2010. Other interventions relate to increasing the number of lower secondary teachers and developing professional competencies.

38. The mission of leading, managing, developing and providing education to the children of Cambodia is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MOEYS). However, this has to be understood in the context of wider Government policies related to decentralization and de-concentration, with education offices at provincial and district level and school management related to communities and communes.

39. The vision of the MOEYS is stated as establishing and developing human resources of the very highest quality and ethics in order to develop a knowledge-based society. The Ministry’s mission is stated as leading and developing the education, youth and sport sector in Cambodia and to respond to the socio-economic and cultural development needs and the reality of globalization. The policy of the MOEYS is to universalize 9 years of basic education and develop opportunities for functional literacy, to modernize and improve the quality of education through effective reform, to link education and training with the labor market and society and to rehabilitate and develop the youth and sport sub-sectors.

40. The organizational chart of MOEYS identifies the established high-level positions of Minister, Secretary of State and Under Secretary of State overseeing six structures at the directorate level (Administration and Finance, Education, Higher Education, Youth and Sport and the Inspectorate General plus an EFA Secretariat). Below these directorates, inspectorate and secretariat level structures are a number of supporting technical departments (Appendix 8). As stated technical and vocational education is no longer the responsibility of the MOEYS and is not represented in the organization chart.

9 MOEYS Education Statistics, 2006-2007

41. For the purpose of this report a policy is a set of principles to guide decisions and actions. From the set of principles, programs and plans of action can be developed. The policy process includes the identification of different alternatives, such as programs or spending priorities and choosing among them on the basis of the impact they will have. Policies can be understood as political, management, financial and administrative mechanisms arranged to reach explicit goals. To enforce policies the principles may be set in law. Key documents are summarized below to help map out Cambodian national policy for the education sector, others are listed in Appendix 9.

42. It is anticipated that the draft Education Law when passed will set a framework for the implementation and consolidation of a number of the policies referred to in various planning and programming documents discussed below. The Education Law includes articles relating to the development and management of the teaching workforce of the school and teacher education sub-sectors. The draft Education Law also states that government shall establish a National Council for Education (NCE) to promote the development of the education sector. The National Council for Education will be the national education institution that is accountable to the government and which is qualified as an administrative artificial person in accordance with the law of the Kingdom of Cambodia. The rules and responsibilities of the National Council for Education shall be determined by a separate regulation.

43. Education is a priority area in human development and capacity building for the RGC and the National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP) endorses the Education Sector Support Plan (ESSP) (2006-2010).Section 4.91 of the NSDP includes points related to development of the teaching workforce. Key strategies and actions in the education sector to achieve teacher related goals and targets are described. These include the upgrading of teachers qualifications by professional development linked to performance incentives and paying special attention to increasing teachers' salaries (already being undertaken) and making them available on time.

44. The Rectangular Strategy for Growth, Employment, Equity and Efficiency in Cambodia sets out the RGC's comprehensive strategy on education. The strategy states that the government will continue to increase budget expenditures and mobilize increased international assistance to enable incentives for teachers; assure quality instruction; increase provision of educational materials, equipment, libraries and laboratories; and build dormitories for students, especially female students; continue to reform curricula and training programs; provide scholarships to poor students; promote literacy and informal education programs; finance construction of schools in the rural areas and support school operating costs.

45. The Strategic Framework for Decentralization and Deconcentration Reforms guides all reforms affecting management systems at provincial/municipal, district/khan and commune/sangkat levels. All policies, legal instruments and operational procedures of ministries and institutions of the Royal Government relating to the management, distribution of responsibilities and resources to provincial/municipal, district/khan and commune/sangkat levels must be consistent with the objectives and principles of the decentralization and deconcentration strategy in order to facilitate the development of systems and structures. At the same time, the strategic framework is also a main document to divide the powers and duties between the levels of administration.

46. Government spending will accord the highest priority for implementation of Education for All (EFA) and associated teacher development programs. The EFA plan is predicated on a set of assumptions and measures that consolidate and extend cost reduction strategies for accessing basic education services. The plan is also predicated on assumptions for incremental increases in education staff remuneration and a shift towards performance based remuneration and targeted incentives for teachers (e.g. remote school allowances) as well as merit driven promotion and training policies.

47. The Education Strategic Plan (ESP) planning process has through more than one cycle taken the policy and strategy dimensions described above and defined actions and targets. From the text and the matrices contained in the document there are a number of strategies associated with policy that directly relate to quality issues: ensure teacher provision in remote and disadvantaged areas; improve the efficiency of staff deployment; increase service remuneration and incentives linked to performance; improve pre-service and in-service teacher development; strengthen teaching and learning quality with pedagogy and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) awareness; increase transparency and improve performance monitoring and accountability of teachers, schools and post-secondary institutions.

48. The education staff development program (ESP 2006-2010 Page 26) supports greater responsiveness to changing sub-sector teacher demand and improved strategic and financial planning and management. There are two components: one to introduce the mini-PTTC training facilities in 6 provinces to support retraining of basic cycle teachers; and the second to upgrade NIE, RTTCs and PTTCs to be able to respond more flexibly to education staff development and teacher training needs, alongside addition of specialist facilities and classrooms (e.g. science, mathematics, technology/ICT and foreign languages).

49. The aim of the Education Sector Support Program 2006-2010 (ESSP 2006-2010) is to outline how the policies and strategies laid out in the ESP 2006-2010 will be put into practice (ESSP 2006-2010 page 2). The ESSP identifies the necessary program activities and priorities in reaching the Cambodian Millennium Development Goals and the goals set out in the National EFA Plan. The basic principle adopted in the ESSP is that programs will be planned and implemented through the Government and Ministry systems rather than through parallel modalities. The management framework for ESSP places the focus on strengthening appropriate MOEYS directorates and departments at central and provincial levels, including delegation of responsibilities to districts, clusters/communes and schools.

50. In the education service efficiency section of the ESSP the objectives and justification part gives a number of outcomes including re-emphasizing the need for performance-based staff remuneration. Other outcomes relate to improved equity and efficiency in the deployment of teaching and non-teaching staff, responding to the targeted expansion of primary and secondary education opportunities to underserved and difficult/remote communes, as well as more equitable deployment of subject specialists. Associated with this is replacement of retiring and contract staff with better-qualified staff and new teachers from TTCs.

51. The strategies and coverage in the ESSP note a shift of strategy towards the deployment of new teachers rather than re-deployment of existing teachers. When teachers and administrators retire from over-staffed schools, they may not be replaced in order to minimize disparity between over-staffed and under-staffed schools. All existing teachers and non-teaching staff in remote/difficult areas will be provided with remote/difficult posting allowances. This program will be complemented by a teacher housing program in the facilities development program to enhance staff retention.

52. The ESSP also mentions programs related to the management of teachers including: performance–based incentives; matching teacher supply to education sector expansion; staff utilization, instructions for education planning components in provinces to develop annual plans for the use of staff, newly trained teacher deployments and re-deployment; budget allocations for the provinces and setting of minimum efficiency targets for each province (number of staff to be deployed and redeployed); deployment plans at all levels of the education system.

53. Under the heading of the teacher development program there are a number of objectives and components to ensure an adequate supply of teachers at all levels and for system expansion (ESSP 2006-2010 page 15). As part of this objective there is an intention to upgrade TTC trainers, school directors and other key MOEYS personnel. Additional components of this program include providing annual operational budgets to the Centre of Preschool and Pedagogy, 18 PTTCs, 6 RTTCs and six new resource centers; capacity building of primary and secondary school directors and continuous teacher development through in-service training programs.

54. Four programs are listed: operational budgets for TTCs, TTC staff development, education management development and continuous teacher development/inservice. The first of these programs focuses on: providing annual operational budgets for the 25 TTCS and enabling a more flexible response to changing enrollment patterns; introducing the Child Friendly School (CFS) and School Readiness Program (SRP) into the PSTTC and PTTC curricula; and delivery of HIV/AIDS awareness courses with supporting textbooks and manuals to all newly trained teachers. The second program focuses on establishing common levels of competence for all TTC staff through a staff development program that will provide formal certification as a foundation for the rapid development of the national teacher education system. The third program aims at equipping school directors at all levels with skills to take up active leadership in their schools through a modular training program based on a combination of distance learning and residential workshops. The fourth program has six activities listed to provide continuous teacher development: multi-grade teachers already receiving a multi-grade teaching incentive; upgrading primary school teachers to become lower secondary/basic education teachers; training on use of new textbooks, new curriculum and minimum learning standards; providing ICT training to all teacher trainers and secondary school teachers, providing in-service training to teachers on CFS and SRP; and delivery of an in-service child friendly HIV/AIDS life skill training with appropriate teaching approaches.

55. There are a number of other documents that have been reviewed in order to map the dimensions of strategies and policies that pertain to teacher education including Gender Mainstreaming Strategy in Education 2006-2010, Policy and Strategies on ICT in Education 2004 and the Policy for Curriculum Development 2005-2009. There are also additional papers in preparation that will affect the working environment of teachers. These include draft sub-decrees and instructional circulars (teachers' professional code, structure of the MOEYS, recruitment of teachers). Also in preparation are documents related to teacher standards, school standards and curriculum standards.

56. From the draft teacher policy analysis and consultations carried out by the team, there does not yet seem to be a comprehensive policy for teacher development. A comprehensive integrated policy document is required to support many planned activities related to the teaching workforce.

57. The EMIS system of the MOEYS reports against a set of selected education indicators that measure changes in gross admission rate (GAR), net admission rate (NAR), gross enrollment rate (GER), net enrollment rate (NER), transition rates, pupil-teacher ratio and pupil-class ratio. Within the annual EMIS bulletins there are additional reports cover other indicators including percentage of schools without drinking water and percentage of schools without toilets. Wherever appropriate the data is disaggregated into total population and female population and sub- categories of disadvantage using set criteria 10. A summary of current performance against key indicators can be found in Appendix 10. Project indicators are identified in Appendix 1.

58. Despite its historical disadvantage, Cambodia has made considerable progress in providing education. In 2006-2007, the gross enrollment ratio (GER) at primary level was 123 percent and the Net enrollment ratio (NER) was 92.1 percent. This indicates a 13.5 percent increase against an NER of 77.8 percent in 1997-1998. The impressive growth in enrollments at the primary level has led to high rates of increase in enrollments at the lower and upper secondary levels. Since 1997-1998, LS enrollments have grown by 135 percent and US enrollments grew by 260 percent. But, despite the rapidly growing demand for secondary education, the vast majority of children of secondary school age are not enrolled in school. The GER at the lower and upper secondary level is 60 percent and 21.2 percent respectively. Corresponding figures for NER at the lower and upper secondary levels are 31.3 percent and 11.3 respectively. Such low levels of participation in secondary education are a severe constraint to Cambodia’s economic development and the Government faces a formidable challenge in expanding access beyond primary education.

59. These enrollment levels are further constrained by disparities based on gender, geographic location as well as social and economic background. From 1997-1998 to 2006-2007, the GER and NER for girls at the primary level increased from 81.2 percent and 72.4 percent to 119.3 percent and 91 percent respectively. At the lower secondary level, the GER and NER for girls are 54.5 percent and 33.1 percent respectively. Corresponding figures at the uppers secondary level are 15.3 percent and 9.9 percent. At the primary level, the differentials in net enrollment rates between urban and rural areas are not significant (93.2 percent and 92.2 percent). Similarly, rural urban differentials for gender are also not significant with marginally higher rates of net enrollment in rural areas (92.6 percent) than in urban areas (91.1 percent). However, the differences are marked in disadvantaged areas 11 where overall NER drops to 73.2 percent and for girls it is 70.6 percent. Mondolkiri and Ratnakiri have the lowest overall NER at 68.9 percent and 56.9 percent respectively. However, they also have the highest rates of GER at 202.9 percent and 163.1 percent respectively indicating overage enrollments of 66 percent and 65.1 percent respectively. Surprisingly, Mondolkiri has high transition rates to lower secondary (90.4 percent) while the corresponding figure for Ratnakiri is 72.6 percent. The two provinces, along with Odey Meanchey, have very high GER for girls at the primary level but among the lowest GER at the lower and uppers secondary level. They also have the lowest NER for girls at all levels of school education. However, in both provinces, the transition rates for girls at 83 and 83.2 percent are higher than the national average of 78.7 percent. In fact, among female students dropout rates reduce with each successive grade completed. The net enrollment rate of children at secondary education in ethnic minority and disadvantaged areas is much lower than the national average. Women have the lowest representation in the teaching force in the disadvantaged areas. Thus, while children in disadvantaged areas are least likely to have access to schools, a more critical examination of statistics indicates that the children who obtain access to schooling are likely to use the opportunity reasonably well.

External assistance to the education sector

10 A

11 A

(i)

60. Total external funding to the education sector for the period 2005–2010 is estimated at $327.6 million, with $97.2 million actually spent in 2005, $100.1 million in 2006 and $130.3 million projected for 2007–2010. The total funding is financed by 124 donor organizations through 324 outstanding projects. Of the total projected financing for the 2005–2010 period, 29 percent is expected to come from UN agencies, 26 percent from international NGOs, 15 percent from bilateral agencies, 8 percent from international organizations, 4 percent from local NGOs, 2 percent from research institutes and 17 percent from other sources. Although funding amount is aggregated, the ADB, the World Bank, the EC and the UN agencies are among the biggest donors to the country's education sector. Details are provided in Appendix 11. In terms of annual budget allocation and disbursement, 29.7 percent of total budget was actually disbursed in 2005, 30.5 percent estimated in 2006 and it is projected that the remaining will be disbursed in proportions that follow: 18.7 percent in 2007, 10.9 percent in 2008, 6.4 percent in 2009 and 3.8 percent in 2010. This projection has not taken into account further annual commitments (and disbursement) by the donor community to Cambodia at annual Donor Consultative Group Meetings.

61. With regard to budget by sub-sector, total 2005-2010 budget is allocated as follows: 34.2 percent for primary education quality and efficiency, 9.9 percent for non-formal education expansion, 8.3 percent for facility expansion; 6.8 percent for continuous teacher education; 6.6 percent for capacity building, 6.5 percent for higher education quality, efficiency and equitable access; 3.7 percent lower secondary education access, quality & efficiency; 3.4 percent for secondary scholarship for the poor; 3.3 percent for upper secondary education and equitable access; 2.9 percent for early childhood education, 1.9 percent for core instructional materials; 0.6 percent for strengthened monitoring systems; 0.6 percent for education service efficiency, 0.2 percent for youth and sport development and the remaining 10 percent is allocated for other sub-sectors. It is noted that allocated investment in (lower and upper) secondary education access, quality and efficiency accounts for just 7.1 percent of total budget versus that of 34.2 percent for primary education quality and efficiency. In this regard, more funding should be earmarked to improve the quality of secondary education due to its significant social returns from this sub-sector. To this end, ADB's focus in the EQEP is well justified.

62. By geography, donor budget for 2005-2010 is distributed in a balanced proportion taking into account of population, poverty severity and other economic and demographic indicators. The distribution is also observed to be balanced between non-disadvantaged and disadvantaged provinces. It is indicated that budget for Phnom Penh accounts for 18 percent of total 2005-2010 budget. However, this high proportion is due to the fact that allocations to line ministries are aggregated in this category, rather than Phnom Penh as a normal administrative unit.

63. MOEYS has endorsed the national Education Strategic Plan (ESP) 2006-2010. The required funding to successfully achieve the ESP objectives is estimated at US$ 864 million for the 2006-2010 period. Annual projected funding required is as follows: US$ 140.7 million (16.3 percent) for 2006, US$ 162.4 million (18.8 percent) for 2007, US$ 172.9 million (20 percent) for 2008; US$ 188 million (21.8 percent) for 2009 and US$ 200 million (23.1 percent) for 2010. Although Cambodia's economic growth prospect is bright with high projected GDP growth rate, public revenue, mainly from tax collection, will not be capable of funding the implementation of ESP 2006-2010. Continued donor support is needed and ADB grant under the EQEP will significantly support the ESP implementation process.

64. The World Bank and ADB are the two major funding agencies and, from 2002–2007, will together account for 42 percent of the total project financing for education. Other funding agencies supporting education include European Commission (EC), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Swedish International Development

Cooperation Agency (SIDA), United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The World Bank’s support has been mainly targeted at primary and lower secondary education. EC has provided budgetary support with technical assistance to strengthen public financial management. USAid has supported curriculum development at the primary level. JICA support has targeted teacher training, and curriculum development for science and mathematics. Key projects delivering external assistance are summarised in Appendix 12.

65. Issues raised in the ADB TA Report 12 set the frame for various aspects of the review. The report noted the general progress made in the education sector in recent years and the considerable progress made in the last 5 years in implementing education sector planning and reforms. Mentioned in the report was the reduction in cost barriers, the effective enrolment campaigns, the introduction of school operating budgets and remedial classes, the substantial increases in the Government’s recurrent spending on education and the growth of policy-led support. The report identified areas where attention has shifted to strengthening the quality and efficiency of the education sector. Based on the issues listed in the report this section reviews: institutional development; teacher education; curriculum; textbooks and instructional materials; assessment and examination systems; information and communication systems; secondary schooling; poverty, gender and inclusion; and capacity building.

66. An earlier section described the organizational outline of the MOEYS. There are established high-level positions of Minister, Secretary of State and Under Secretary of State overseeing six structures at the directorate level (Administration and Finance, Education, Higher Education, Youth and Sport, Inspectorate General plus an EFA Secretariat). Below these directorates, inspectorate and secretariat level structures, are a number of supporting technical departments and provincial and district structures (Appendix 8).

67. Sub-Decree 21 on the Organization and Functioning of the Ministry, Youth and Sport covers details of the functions of each directorate and department. The MOEYS Legislative Unit has been responsible for revising the Sub-decree and has provided a draft for discussion which was circulated to line departments for comment. One of the purposes of the draft Sub-decree is said to be clarification of roles and reduction of over-lapping functions but no mention has been made of clarifying links that enable directorates and departments to work together on areas of common responsibilities or interests. It is also unclear as to what attention has been given to complying with the provisions of the Strategic Framework for Decentralization and Deconcentration while drafting the Sub-decree. It appears from review and analysis that there is some mismatch between functions and structures of the MOEYS and there is a need for a review that covers the strategic management, pedagogy and administrative functions of the MOEYS and the structures that are currently in place to deal with these functions. There appears to be good case for recommending that a comprehensive review of MOEYS, which considers the decentralization and deconcentration strategy, be included in the project design to help underpin any future development of Human Resource

68. The MOEYS organization chart shows the Department of Teacher Training (TTD) located in the Directorate of Higher Education (DGE). However, in practice it appears to be located in the DGE. This is reflected in the draft Sub-decree 21 where it is included as a seventh department within the Directorate of General Education. The TTD has overall responsibility for pre-service teacher training of primary and lower secondary school teachers and school managers. In-service teacher training for primary and lower secondary school teachers and managers is coordinated between the TTD, Primary Education Department (PED), General Secondary Education Department (DGSE) and the Pedagogic Research Department (PRD). The National Institute of Education (NIE) has overall responsibility for pre-service and in-service teacher training of upper secondary school teachers and school managers. The TTD provides technical, policy and management support to the six Regional Teacher Training Centers (RTTC) and 18 Provincial Teacher Training Centers (PTTC). Appendix 13 includes a table showing the distribution of RTTCs and PTTCs by province. Provinces with neither RTTC nor PTTC will utilize the recently built Resource Centers (RC) as a mini-PTTC in accordance with the ESSP 2006-2010 to provide a facility for the retraining of basic cycle teachers. A pre-school teacher training institution is located in Phnom Penh. Staff from PED, DGSE, PRD and TTD deliver in-service teacher training. An alternative source of trainers, proposed by TTC and Provincial Office of Education (POE) Directors, was to select experienced teachers from schools who demonstrate good classroom practice, for example Technical Group Leaders (TGLs) 13 .

69. Other organizational structures supporting the professional work and management of teachers such as the PRD and the Examinations Office of the DGSE are reviewed below in the curriculum and assessment sections and identify interventions that will build capacity and assist in the development of the institutions. Special attention has been given to the role of the NIE with the exploration of a potential wider role in supporting the quality of education.

70. There are a number of current or planned initiatives that have objectives related to the support of NIE. Two should be mentioned here. MOEYS/JICA have a project under preparation related to the training of upper secondary science teachers and MOEYS/SIDA/UNICEF are considering a management skills enhancement project. Currently the mandate of the NIE covers a one-year training program to provide upper secondary teachers and the training of education managers and administrators. There is considerable interest in the future development of NIE either within its current mandate or in a revised mandate. The future of NIE has been looked at carefully over the past few years and a number of options have been discussed relating to the need for a more comprehensive approach to education planning and management training. One option considered was a separate autonomous national institution with international links, which would allow NIE to concentrate on its teacher-training mandate. This option does not appear to have been accepted. There remains considerable potential for developing the NIE into an institute that bridges the current gap between the practitioners of education (in schools and teacher training institutions) and the policy makers and managers of education services (in the MOEYS and its decentralized structures, POE and DOE).

71. It can be argued that the country requires an institution that focuses on preparing policy-linked advice for decision-makers at all levels based on systematic research and analysis. As the institution develops the need for external technical assistance in policy development would decline. The same institution could provide a base for analytic reviews as required by the proposed National Council for Education and serve as a repository for documents that describe, analyze and report on the education sector. Consideration could also be given to renaming the institution as the National Institute for Educational Development (NIED). Decisions would have to be made on the focus of the NIED. The NIED could include all or some of the following in its mandate: research and policy development, leadership, management and administration training, professional development of upper secondary teachers.

13 In LSS and USS secondary schools TGLs are experienced teachers responsible for subject areas.

72. Among the issues relating to quality improvement at upper secondary school level is that in remote areas schools cannot offer enough subjects and there are not enough teachers, which results in schools opening but students not attending because they do not wish to study under such conditions. There is also a need to ensure a future supply of upper secondary teachers. According to the projections given earlier, demand for upper secondary teachers will rise rapidly over the next few years as the required number of students increases and the plan to build additional secondary schools is implemented. Estimates suggest that the current capacity of the NIE will be inadequate for future supply in the medium term. Yet to be verified is how to set targets to secure an adequate number of trainees undergoing upper secondary teacher training in all the subjects required by the new USS curriculum. Re-location of some USS teacher training through enhancing the capacity and competencies of the RTTCs through a careful structured incremental program may be required. Shift to regional centers will mean that training will take place closer to the homes of students from remote and disadvantaged areas.

73. The 6 RTTCs located in Phnom Penh and five other provinces (Kampong Cham, Battambang, Takeo, Kandal and Prey Veng) provide 2-year programs to train lower secondary teachers. There are short-term responses to supplying lower secondary teachers through the BETT program, more sustainable solutions also need to be developed for the supply of lower secondary teachers. There is an identified need to improve the living environment of dormitories, cooking facilities and toilets, in addition to expanding facilities that relate to science, ICT and multi-media.

74. The PTTCs located throughout the country provide 2-year programs to train primary teachers. With their changing role the opportunity should be taken to consolidate the development of PTTCs into institutions responsible for training Basic Education teachers. However the respective roles of PTTCs and RTTCs would need to be clear and the current activities to merge some RTTCs and PTTCs examined carefully.

75. The issues relating to quality improvement in teacher training and teacher professional development are identified as: (i) strengthening the capacity of teacher training institutions to improve teacher skills and competencies; (ii) strengthening inservice teacher training to support quality improvement in teachers’ classroom practice. The broad teacher professional development issues to be addressed have been identified from the TNA 14 as: upgrading of teacher professional qualifications, motivation of teachers and trainers relating to basic living conditions and terms of employment. The ESSP prioritizes a TTC staff development program and a responsive pre-service and in-service teacher training program to enhance the capacity of secondary school teachers and trainers. These programs are linked to the planned introduction of Teacher Standards, Teacher Training Standards and improved systems of performance monitoring. A system of formal certification is proposed in the ESSP as a foundation for the development of the national teacher education system. To achieve this the TTD MOEYS will need to establish criteria and procedures for assessment of competencies and certification of courses that teachers and trainers attend. The information will be required by the Department of

Personnel MOEYS in relation to management of the performance monitoring and EMIS systems.

76. The key areas of skills and competencies requiring strengthening through teacher professional development have been identified through the Training Needs Analysis conducted in the review and analysis phase. They are: institutional management skills, skills in developing and using ICT multimedia technology, English language skills of teachers and trainers, upgrading of under-qualified teachers in secondary schools.

77. It is essential that all teacher training programs are planned and coordinated by MOEYS to ensure (i) that duplication with other development initiatives is avoided, (ii) that future planned activities complement and strengthen current interventions and (iii) that the system has the capacity to productively absorb the training activities on the scale planned.

Curriculum

78. A process of developing and introducing new curricula is underway throughout the school system. To this end, MOEYS has an approved policy and master plan for curriculum development, 2005-2009. The PRD MOEYS is responsible for curriculum development and has received support from USAID at basic education level (all subjects grades 1-9) and from JICA in Mathematics and three Science subjects at upper secondary level (grades 10-12). To date new curricula have been developed for lower secondary Khmer, mathematics, social studies and sciences and for upper secondary mathematics, biology, chemistry and physics.

79. Development of curricula not supported directly, financially and technically, by development partners has been slower to implement. This is partly attributable to the need for technical support to inform and guide the process, and partly to the competing demands on staff time in the context of low salaries where field-based activities and associated incentives are more rewarding than desk-based work.

80. PRD would benefit from technical assistance to support the conceptualization, design and development of the outstanding curricula and in particular in areas which are less familiar than the traditional school subjects. As well as drawing on consultancy support in these areas, PRD may consider a strategy of acquiring existing curricula and courses. Such courses might be adopted or adapted to a Cambodian context from materials that are in use in the region. This may particularly be the case for foreign languages (English and French) and some of the proposed Elective Vocational Education Program (EVEP) subjects such as tourism and ICT.

81. There is a tension and a balance to be struck in the area of curriculum development between the sometimes competing objectives of developing institutional capacity and ensuring ownership, on the one hand and achieving rapid implementation and a quality product, on the other hand. In this instance, the use of technical expertise, knowledge and experience which is accessible through technical assistance will be central in how MOEYS and PRD strike the most appropriate and effective balance to achieve the desired outcome.

82. As well as the development of its professional curriculum development capacity PRD will also benefit from ensuring that there is appropriate ICT equipment and operator capacity to ensure it is equipped to carry out its role. This includes an understanding of maintenance, and more specifically developing an understanding of the educational possibilities and limitations, the management and cost issues and other practicalities of developing curriculum materials in electronic media.

83. Whilst MOEYS benefits from assistance from multiple development partners, it is important that such support is coordinated and complementary. Thus curriculum development support provided through this ADB grant should be in the context of and in collaboration with others. The recent past has included JICA and USAID, whilst French government assistance may support the development of French language curriculum and textbooks.

84. Future systems should require PRD to proceed with developing curricula with less direct intervention. It should build on the experience gained from the USAID funded Basic Education Project (BEP) but technical assistance should focus on provisions to build the capacity of PRD curriculum writers to enhance their roles in curriculum writing and the management of the process of developing textbook, teacher’s guides and other instructional materials.

85. The schedule of developing and introducing the new curricula to schools is a matter for the implementing TA to agree with MOEYS. Whilst the Master Plan for Curriculum Development includes a schedule, this may be modified to achieve the best effect. Various permutations have been explored. There are several dimensions to optimizing the phasing of this work relating to institutional capacity. The dimensions include: (i) curriculum coherence across years; (ii) efficient and effective curriculum development; (iii) orientation of schools and teachers to the new curriculum; (iv) minimizing the disruption to students and teachers during introduction of the new curriculum; (v) the implications for preparing learning materials to support the new curriculum; and (vi) the schedule for the next major curriculum review.

86. The means of dissemination of the curriculum is subject to various possibilities. The modalities should be linked to one or more other areas of development of teachers, teacher trainers and education managers, such as in-service and preservice teacher education and training in new assessment methods.

Textbooks and instructional materials

87. MOEYS stated policy is to ensure the adequate provision of core instructional materials on a nationwide basis and to encourage the process of widening choice (and therefore quality) in the provision of textbooks by opening the textbook market to multi-publisher supply. This will allow decentralization and more flexibility in the purchase of core learning materials at the school-level with resulting gain in quality and cost benefits for MOEYS.

88. The introduction of the new curricula has given an opportunity to bring about this reform. The basic education curricula (grades 1-9) have been completed with the exception of foreign languages under the USAID funded BEP. JICA has supported curricula in mathematics (grades 9-12) and secondary education curricula in physics, chemistry and biology. JICA was supporting the development of textbooks (TXT) and teacher's manuals (TM) in these subjects but only one mathematics book was developed before their support was withdrawn.

89. Capacity building will be concentrated in the PRD to establish it under its new role as MOEYS' supervisory authority for all learning materials

Assessment and examination systems

90. The analysis of assessment and examinations in Cambodia revealed a system that was clear and in many ways well-organized but required significant strengthening. Reforms in assessment and examinations are necessary to support the national curriculum reform and ensure valid and reliable measurement of student achievement, which will in turn contribute significantly to quality assurance in education.

91. At the moment the assessment and examinations system is not clearly standardsbased and lacks coherence. In future, there will be assessment against curriculum standards in grades 3, 6 and 9. To complete this system, curriculum standards (and also grade criteria) should be developed for grade 12. There should be a clear relationship between school-based assessment (SBA) in grades 1 and 2 and assessment of curriculum standards in grade 3 (and similarly for subsequent grades up to grade 9) so that there is coherent reporting on student progress to students and parents. The respective roles of – and relationship between –assessment and reporting against national standards and semester examinations should be clarified. A related issue is how to reconcile the standards-based assessment approach with the current grading system used in SBA/semester examinations. The new system of national assessments (standardized tests at grades 3, 6 and 9 in Khmer and Mathematics applied to a sample of the student population) should apply the curriculum standards by using similar items to those used in schools to assess these curriculum standards.

92. The national policy on assessment should also: address quality assurance of internal assessment, e.g. through external moderation of school assessments by the PRD Research and Evaluation Office; and ensure equitable access to assessment for students with disabilities

93. The Examinations Office currently lacks capacity. There should be a phased strengthening of its capacity both through training and introduction of ICT-led improvements to management of assessment, administration and record keeping. Computer-generated and examinations and computer-based marking can improve validity and reliability, improve examination security and – in the long term – reduce costs.

94. Teachers will need to be trained and supported in the development of assessment tools and question papers that assess students against curriculum standards in grades 3, 6 and 9 in a valid and reliable way. The SBA in other grades will need to be related to the assessment against curriculum standards in grades 3, 6 and 9, so that there is continuity and progression in the assessment of students and reporting to parents and students. The training of teachers would be greatly facilitated by the development and distribution of exemplar assessment tasks and question papers. The process would also benefit from an approach in which teachers were able to get access to expert support at a local level.

95. Capacity needs to be developed at regional and school level to implement a systematic program of training and support.

Information and communication systems

96. ICT, ranges across many elements being reviewed. Correctly introduced, strengthening ICT within MOEYS will have a qualitative impact in each one. The capacity building falls into three sets of activities: ICT for education management, ICT for teacher training and classroom support; and ICT in the classroom.

97. It is proposed that a number of learning centers in selected secondary schools are set up. The measure of the success of this is clearly going to be the impact that it has on the effectiveness of learning and teaching and the benefit to students. All staff in each institution should receive basic training to enable them to make use of the facilities for email, internet, word processing and spreadsheets. These learning centers should form a network of ICT training schools, fully equipped to provide training to teachers from other schools as those schools receive their equipment. Ultimately, over a defined (but lengthy) time period, it should be possible to demonstrate the improvements that ICT can bring in rising standards. Thought should be given, at the outset, to ensuring that performance measures are in place or planned and statistics upon these measures are gathered annually so that improvement over time can be clearly demonstrated.

98. Wherever ICT has been introduced, there has been evidence of resistance from teachers. ICT for teacher training and classroom support requires major changes in behaviors and pedagogies. The proposed project should will provide institutionbased training and development programs to effect a qualitative change under the Teacher Professional Development component. Specialized training should focus on the use of the facilities to enhance learning and teaching. The model proposed should deliver training to selected ICT master teachers; should mentor each set of teachers; should make regular site visits to support their development; should monitor and evaluate to support disseminating the activities to other teachers in their institution.

99. Management Information Systems (MIS) remain weak in MOEYS. Mechanisms for data gathering, retention and manipulation are minimal at the point of collection. Unless specifically designed to do so, one MIS system often does not have the capacity to inter-connect with another, not only because the basic data sets are incompatible but also because the staff lack the analytical skills. This is the case with current MIS systems. Where they exist basic data sets are held within systems, which are associated with a specific entry. Currently MOEYS has a number of information systems. Key systems are an Education Management Information System (EMIS) centered in the MOEYS Department of Planning, a Financial MIS (FMIS) in the Department of Finance and a Human Resources MIS (HRMIS) in Department of the Personnel. The EMIS system, does not inter-relate with the HRMIS system or the FMIS. HRMIS is being supported by UNICEF and the European Union (EU) and EMIS by UNICEF and Sida). The MOEYS has asked for support for the FMIS. It has identified equipment that is required and asked for capacity building in the field of data analysis. Support should be provided for the development of an over-arching MIS System and for improving the data collection, processing and analysis. Other systems exist or are planned relating to school construction, non-formal education, higher education and the Information and ASEAN Affairs Department.

100. A Secondary Education Development Plan being prepared by the Department of General Secondary Education identifies a number of improvement areas underpinned by a number of strategies to enhance the quality of secondary education. This plan has a focus on providing a context for the construction of secondary schools under ESDP 11. There is an awareness that a comprehensive plan would cover five broad areas: enhancing the skills of the secondary education workforce; strengthening the secondary school support structures with MOEYS; ongoing secondary school improvement; supporting secondary teaching and learning and enhancing facilities, resources and funding for secondary education. Currently there is inadequate resourcing for a comprehensive Secondary Education Development Plan.

101. To improve quality, five components are needed: building enough classrooms, providing enough qualified teachers in all subjects, providing enough materials for teaching and learning, providing a special budget to improve the quality of living for teachers, especially in more remote locations, providing opportunities for professional development

102. The project should address issues of quality improvement, with the primary focus on specific interventions targeted at secondary schooling. The immediate shortage of qualified teachers at lower secondary school level is being addressed through the emergency Basic Education Teacher Training (BETT) program which upgrades primary school teachers to lower secondary school standard. A more detailed projection for teacher supply at upper secondary school level than that presented in the earlier 'teacher demand projections' section of this report is required. A detailed projection will assist in planning to ensure that, as increasing numbers of students complete basic education by graduating from grade 9, there are sufficient teachers trained to meet the increasing demand at upper secondary level. This projection could be included as part of the Secondary Education Development Plan discussed later.

103. The new upper secondary school curriculum includes both compulsory and elective subjects and as described earlier it is difficult at the moment to accurately estimate of the number of teachers that will be required for each specialist subject. In addition there is the challenge of ensuring that students in the more disadvantaged districts and provinces benefit from the expansion of access to secondary school combined with delivery of improved quality in teaching and learning.

104. A system of Technical Groups (TG) already functions in secondary schools and provides an opportunity for professional development and improvement in quality of teaching and learning. An evaluation of the functioning of this school-based teacher network would enable the analysis of ways in which teacher competencies are enhanced and would also identify weaknesses in the system. For example, some TGL who are required to complete the final stage in the process of cascade training, may have insufficient experience or training skills to be able to train other teachers on the staff effectively. There may be little incentive or motivation either from the TGL or from other staff towards the TGL for the role to be effective and for teacher professional development to be sustainable through this mechanism. At secondary level it is proposed that opportunities are explored to strengthen institutional links, to establish a network to develop and sustain teacher competencies.

105. Alternative strategies can be explored to identify ways in which networking of secondary schools can be used to strengthen teacher capacities through specific professional development activities. For example a local subject group may be able to secure a small budget to enable several meetings to be convened each year at each school in turn. Meetings could focus on new initiatives: such as curriculum change, teacher performance monitoring and changes to the examination system and other meetings could be used to share good practice and to solve challenges which teachers face in the classroom. This level of networking is particularly relevant to teachers in schools that are relatively isolated outside a main urban centre. Opportunities to visit other schools and to meet as a professional group of teachers, motivate teachers and raises professional status at a relatively small cost. Such a mechanism provides a conduit for dissemination of new methodology and also provides a forum for performance monitoring, decentralized to a district level.

106. Some specific issues relating to quality improvement at upper secondary school level have been raised. In remote areas schools cannot offer enough subjects and there are not enough teachers and when schools open students do not wish to study because there are not enough teachers.

107. The possible interventions under the headings of teacher professional development, performance monitoring, gender and IT are all relevant and applicable to improvement in quality of secondary education teaching and teacher training. Additional possible interventions, which are more specific to quality improvement in secondary education, concern development of school networks to give an organizational structure to school improvement, living conditions and physical facilities for practical activities.

108. At secondary level it is proposed that opportunities are explored to strengthen links between secondary schools including: grouping of schools to establish a network to develop and sustain teacher competencies through professional development activities. In some schools provide a facility for practical activities in support of the implementation of the new upper secondary curriculum. Provide training and equipment to upper secondary schools and later to lower secondary schools, to enable the effective implementation of the Science and IT curriculum.

109. There are various models of improvement planning being discussed in the different departments of MOEYS. Support for a model that focuses on the quality of teaching and learning and raising student attainment is proposed.

110. Living conditions become a higher priority in lower secondary and upper secondary schools in remote locations where students and teachers have to board. In addition to a policy of home postings, provision of accommodation or an equivalent incentive payment is essential to enhance the quality of education by attracting teachers to remote and disadvantaged areas.

111. MOEYS recently developed a draft gender policy for education in Cambodia, set a Gender Mainstreaming Strategy in Education (GMSE) for 2006-2010 and established gender working groups at ministry and local (province, district and school) level. These activities are a reflection of broader RGC initiatives to tackle gender inequality in the education sector and to address gender inequalities in other sectors through gender-sensitive education. The policy lays out important strategies and instruments to deal with the inequalities in education at primary, lower secondary and upper secondary levels. A range of strategies has been set to strike at the root causes of gender inequalities in education. The GMSE for 2006-2010 sets specific objectives. The strategy for 2006-2010 is based on the gains and the gaps of a previous GMSE (2002-2006). The main thrusts are to (i) increase women’s participation in the management and delivery of educational services at all levels and (ii) facilitate the creation of positive social attitudes and enhance the value of girls’ education and equal partnership between women and men in Cambodian society, especially among parents and community leaders.

112. It is too early to make any critical comment on the gender policy, as it has not yet been endorsed officially. Discussions with key staff at provincial education offices about their involvement in implementing gender policy in education and their knowledge of GMSE lead to the following concerns about the effectiveness and efficiency of its application: (i) Local level key staff of MOEYS are as yet not informed about the gender policy. Most provinces were not involved in the process of development of the policy. As a result the staff and the local gender working groups have little or shallow knowledge on gender in relation to education. Contrarily, the MOEYS requires them to work as gender advocates, specialists and advisers in the GMSE. (ii) The implementation of gender policy and the GMSE is largely dependent on the improvement of the capacity of these key staff at local level. Unless they gain hands-on skills in how to conduct gender analysis and incorporate gender equality strategies in education, it is unlikely that the GMSE will bring any substantial achievement of gender equality in education. (iii) MOEYS needs to give priority and emphasis to building the gender capacity of key staff at the local level as well as the gender working group at Ministerial level.

113. Cambodia, with a population of 14 million and a per capita income of US$ 385, is one of the poorest countries in the world 15. Although government and other stakeholders have made positive strides towards full and equal access of girls to education, gender disparity still persists widely in education in terms of enrollment, retention and completion of study at primary, lower secondary and upper secondary level education. Boys and girls start schooling on an equal footing in primary education but the dropout rate among girl students starts to go up as they progress through the grades, particularly after completion of primary education.

114. Poverty is the overriding reason for wider gender disparities in education in terms of enrollment and illiteracy. Among female students dropout rates reduce with each successive grade completed. Although direct costs of education are the same for boys and girls, parents generally perceive higher opportunity costs and lower benefits from educating daughters. Opportunity costs increase with the increase in age of girls, especially when they reach an age officially acceptable for entry into the formal job market. Instead of allowing their daughters to continue their study until lower and upper secondary levels, parents send their daughters to earn money for themselves and the family. Poor people seemingly adhere to the traditional gender norms that women should stay at home and have negative attitudes towards girls’ higher education.

115. The net enrollment rate of children at secondary education in ethnic minority and disadvantaged areas is much lower than the national average. Along with poverty, the distant location of schools, language barriers, disproportionate teacher-student ratios and inappropriate instructional materials are the major factors that keep children of ethnic minority groups away from school. These factors affect girls of ethnic minorities more than boys. There are few schools, particularly secondary schools, within or near ethnic minority groups. Officially Khmer is the only language of instruction in the class. Since the children of ethnic groups use their own language in their daily affairs, it is difficult for them on starting school to follow Khmer in the classroom where it is used as the language of instruction. The ratio of students to teachers in ethnic minority and disadvantaged areas is very high. This is because teachers from cities or other locations are reluctant to work in disadvantaged and remote areas. Potentially this can be addressed through enhancing enrollment of teacher trainees from ethnic minority and disadvantaged areas at NIE and RTTCs. Similarly, the existing instructional materials used by teachers at secondary school do not help to equalize access of children of ethnic minorities and disadvantaged areas to education. With these difficulties many of the children of ethnic minorities and other disadvantaged groups abandon school before or immediately after the completion of their primary level education.

116. The overwhelming gender issue in MOEYS with relation to staff, teacher and trainer development is that female staff are less likely to attend capacity building programs, training, workshop, do research and similar activities even if they are given the opportunity. They are less likely to attend any capacity development programme because: (i) when they are asked to attend in-service training, particularly residential training away from home, they think about difficulties for the family in their absence; (ii) some female staff are reluctant to attend if none of their fellow female staff are selected, to attend alone is socially difficult; (iii) some female staff are scared to attend any training or workshop, they consider themselves below standard; and (iv) women rarely hold any decision-making positions at MOEYS, the DOEs and other educational institutions at local level. Therefore, female staff rarely have the opportunity to play any role in the designing and implementation of staff development programmes.

117. Disability is an area for inclusion in education, which is addressed at present by a range of initiatives, mainly special schools and services provided by NGOs, rather than as a provision across the national education system. Although highly significant in themselves and addressing the needs of their participating children, such provisions are limited. Within the MOEYS, the Special Education Office is housed within the PED but has very limited resources. Explicit reference to disability in the ESSP is restricted . At primary level, the CFS programme aims to make education inclusive of children with special needs. At secondary education level, there is no clearly identified provision for disabled students, whilst at higher education level, students with disabilities are included as target beneficiaries of scholarship support. In terms of education, this implies taking steps to maximize disabled students’ access to the standard national curriculum. Suitable vocational education and training in life skills are also areas where special consideration for disabled learners is seen as particularly desirable. Areas to address include physical facilities, instructional media, methods of teaching, in-service and pre-service teacher training, assessment, ICT, inspection and financial support (through scholarships). Promoting positive images of disabled people, early and diagnostic intervention to identify and address disability, development of disability awareness and the inclusion of disability into EMIS and school mapping, would all help to mainstream the disabled.

118. Opportunities to promote equity include: dissemination of the MOEYS gender mainstreaming policy and strategy among the staff of MOEYS at central and local level; improving capacity of key staff of MOEYS at different levels to implement strategy and policy; scholarships for girls and children of disadvantaged areas at upper secondary education, scholarships for female and other teacher trainees at NIE and RTTC; building dormitories for female students; providing training on gender and ethnic minority issues to the writers of instructional materials; integrating the issue of gender equality and ethnic minority into instructional materials and both pre-service and in-service teacher training programs at secondary level and the publication of materials for use by teachers at the secondary level that discuss equitable access of children from disadvantaged areas.

119. A number of processes are well recognized as ways of approaching organizational and institutional capacity building. It is important that an appropriate mix of processes is selected to achieve the specific outcomes. It is also important to ensure the building of capacity in individuals is clearly aligned to organizational outcomes and priorities. Attendance on courses and participation in overseas programs should be on an organizational needs basis and on-the-job instruction should be directly relevant to a person’s role. It is important to remember that capacity building takes time, is often a two way process and has to be relevant for the individual counterpart, counterpart groups and counterpart institutions. During consultations a number of senior officers at the MOEYS mentioned that it was difficult to get a clear picture of capacity building and how projects contributed to enhancing competencies and ownership. Capacity development will be an underlying theme in the design and implementation of the project. During the design process three key elements will be considered: human capacity development, institutional strengthening and development of information flows and networks. Clear, measurable indicators for progress with capacity building will be required.

120. Valuable lessons have been drawn from the experience gained in implementing policies and from projects and programs that have supported the education sector in the past. These include: (i) significant improvements in access to primary schooling puts great pressure on secondary education which now needs attention: (ii) emphasis on expansion needs to be matched by emphasis on quality: (iii) seminarbased, cascade training approaches have limitations and on-the-job training with access to regular feed-back is more effective; (iv) an overarching organizational framework for in-service teacher training that is linked to the pre-service teacher training institutions is needed; (v) gender awareness and equal opportunities activities need to be integrated in all relevant activities; (vi) preferences at the school level need to be recognized and addressed in supplying physical facilities, equipment and books if these inputs are to improve the quality of education; (vii) provision of facilities needs careful planning in order to ensure optimum utilization of resources; (viii) monitoring and evaluation capacity developed from scratch by a new project cannot start to monitor that project from the beginning so it is necessary to draw on system data that is disaggregated to institutional level; (ix) institution building needs flexible inputs and a good analysis of institutional needs; (x) professional development activities must be specific in terms of intended outputs, competencies, certification and career development opportunities; and (xi) adequate technical needs to be provided for strengthening capacity and experts need to work very closely with counterparts for knowledge and skills transfer.

121. The ADB TA-4823 CAM Interim Report prepared in February 2007 outlined a number of proposed interventions based on the review and analysis of areas identified in the PPTA terms of reference. The Interim Report was presented to the ADB TA-4823 CAM Task Force and Steering Committee and the proposed interventions were accepted as the basis of future planning and refinement. The proposed interventions covered seven areas: professional development of teachers, curriculum and instructional materials, assessment and examinations, information and communication technology, secondary schools, teacher development policy and institutional development.

122. Teacher professional development proposed interventions linked together provincial level and school level teacher development programs, a review of the pre-service curricula, content and methodology, the possibility of a non-formal distance education program, implementation of the Gender Mainstreaming Policy, management of the learning environment and ICT and English Language.

123. Curriculum and instructional materials proposed interventions were organised as four sub-sets: curriculum, curriculum coordination, instructional materials and teacher development and distributions. Proposed interventions covering assessment and examinations included supporting the development of a policy on assessment and examinations, support for standards-based assessment at grades 3, 6 and 9 and support for standards-based assessment at grade 12.

124. Four clusters of possible interventions were proposed in the area of ICT: national infrastructure and software issues, school equipment provision, training and using television and radio.

125. The preparation of a comprehensive secondary education development plan to underpin other developments in the secondary education sub-sector led the proposed interventions to strengthen secondary education. Other key proposals were development of school development networks, quality improvement planning for secondary schools and ways of dealing with improving the living conditions of students and teachers.

126. The remaining proposed interventions covered the development of a teacher education and teacher management policy framework and institutional development.

127. Not all proposed interventions have been included in the design presented in the following section. Others have been modified or merged as a result of a participatory workshop that developed the first draft of a DMF. The two-day DMF Workshop in May 2007 brought together MOEYS staff from the relevant line departments with some colleagues from the provinces. Also participating were representatives from other projects in the education sector. Groups based on the TWGs worked through the steps of preparing a DMF. The DMF Workshop provided draft statements describing the impact (goal) of the project, the outcome (purpose) of the project, seven possible impact statements and seven possible outcome statements which provided the basis of the statements given in following paragraphs. From the proposed interventions contained in the Interim Report 32 possible outputs were identified and activities to achieve the outputs suggested. For each output a number of targets and indicators were identified with assumptions and risks. The task was completed with a list of required inputs.

128. Following the DMF Workshop the first draft was scrutinized and further developed through further meetings: (i) with TWGs and individual members of the TWGs; (ii) with the TA-4823 CAM Task Force meeting in early June 2007; (iii) a second national workshop and (iv) a final meeting of the TA-4823 CAM Steering Committee.

Impact, outcome and outputs

129. The impact of the project will be an increased number of educated and skilled people from all sections of Cambodia’s population. The Project will achieve this by carefully targeting support for strengthening capacity of institutions and agencies responsible for delivery of quality education. This includes examining the capacity of effectiveness of MOEYS’ organizational structure, supporting capacity building of NIE. And strengthening and integrating the management information systems. Recognizing the critical role teachers play in education quality, the Project will provide extensive support for improving teacher quality and management, including upgrading facilities of the teacher training institutions and competencies of teacher trainers. The quality of secondary education will be improved through several initiatives that will strengthen secondary school management, upgrade facilities including laboratories and libraries, provide equipment including ICT and textbooks, and improve secondary curriculum, assessment and examinations.

130. The Project outcome will be improved quality and equity of education in Cambodia with more effective secondary education, teacher training and education management systems. There are 20 outputs planned, clustered in 3 components: education system management and development, teacher professional development and strengthening secondary education.

131. Three special features are integrated into the three components: ICT, capacity building and broad interventions related to gender, poverty and ethnic minority representation. Additional analysis is contained in Appendices 13, 14 and 15

132. The objective of this component is to strengthen institutional capacity of MOEYS for more efficient management and delivery of education services through achieving the following outputs.

133. The draft Education law is under submission to the National Assembly and is expected to be approved by end 2007. The Project will support dissemination of the law upon its adoption by the National Assembly through distribution of printed copies of the Law to schools, district and provincial offices and other relevant stakeholders. A poster, specially designed for display in schools and other relevant public places, will also be distributed to create wider awareness of the provisions of the law. A national workshop will be conducted for senior national and provincial officials of MOEYS and other key ministries to familiarize them with the provision of the education law.

134. The policy framework will provide a clear expression of an agreed policy structure that covers both teacher education and teacher management. A comprehensive integrated policy document is required to support many planned activities related to the teaching workforce. The comprehensive teacher education policy framework will take in current and planned initiatives, map out and integrate policies and strategies related to teacher recruitment, deployment, qualifications, professional development and career growth. The teacher education policy framework will encompass five strategic areas: management of the teacher education system; teacher education methodology; a system of continuing professional development; teacher recruitment and retention; and improved salaries and incentives for teachers.

Output

135. The comprehensive review of MOEYS that is planned will consider the changing role that will result from the implementation of the decentralization and deconcentration strategy and help underpin any future preparation of a human resource development plan. The review will look at the strategic management, pedagogic and administrative functions of MOEYS, the internal structure of the departments and address problems of coordination, communication, overlap and linkage by looking at offices dealing with information systems, offices and staffing. The review will also include the organization and functions of the provincial and district level offices and of the teacher education institutions. The review will pay some attention to the DGSE considering its important role in implementing some of the component outputs. This output will provide a basis for improving the delivery of education services in Cambodia.

Output 1.4: Strengthened National Institute of Education

136. The current mandate of the NIE covers a one-year training program to provide upper secondary teachers and the training of education managers and administrators. This output, complementing other interventions will strengthen the NIE, developing it into an institution capable of providing leadership for the education sector. The NIE of the future will bridge the current gap between the practitioners of education (in schools and teacher training institutions) and the policy makers and managers of education services (in the MOEYS and its decentralized provincial and district education offices). The output will be achieved through activities that prepare a participatory institutional development plan with a clear vision for the next 10 years, an education research capacity, the enhancement of staff professional capacity, the development of management and planning training programs and distance support to build professional capacity of upper secondary teachers

Output 1.5: Information systems strengthened at national, provincial, district

137. There are a number of Management Information Systems (MIS) within MOEYS including the Education Management Information System (EMIS) centered in the MOEYS Department of Planning, a Human Resources MIS (HRMIS) in the Human Resources Section of the Department of Personnel and a Financial MIS (FMIS) in the Department of Finance. Other MIS exist in ESDP II (construction), Non-Formal Department (NFEMIS) and Information and ASEAN Affairs Department (Information Education and Communication – IEC). All remain un-integrated either with one another or with the MIS of other ministries. The activities to deliver this output will rectify this by setting up a task force to identify the aims and objectives of a fully integrated educational MIS, connecting the EMIS, HRMIS, FMIS and others MIS and developing an implementation plan. The EMIS will be reviewed and statistical analysis, general performance indicators, quality indicators and qualitative reporting will be strengthened. Implementation of the activities will ensure that the FMIS is compatible with the MEF system and that the HRMIS system is consolidated. The Information and ASEAN Affairs Department will be developed to play a coordinating role in disseminating information.

138. This output will develop a concept paper on the roles and responsibilities of key departments of MOEYS in monitoring and quality assurance activities of the Inspectorate General, Teacher Training, Primary and Secondary Education Departments. It will establish a quality assurance system for teacher education institutions while expanding and consolidating school self-assessment systems for lower and upper secondary schools. It will strengthen the institutional and management capacity to improve the monitoring and quality assurance systems by linking them to the identification of training needs. There will be a review of the functions and performance of the Committee on Continuous Teacher Development (CCTD). A further dimension of this output will be to augment the quality assessment systems. Teacher Standards will be linked to the identification of teacher professional development needs and teacher quality will be monitored using teacher profiles and school self-assessment tools, as well as professional development for secondary school inspectors.

Outputs of component 1

139. This component will have the following major outputs: (i) Education Law disseminated; (ii) a policy framework for teacher development; (iii) NIE’s research capability strengthened: (iv) integration of the various MIS; and (v) a quality assurance system developed and piloted.

140. The objective of this component is to strengthen teacher competencies by improving management, facilities and professional development programs.

141. The management capacity of teacher training institutions (NIE, RTTC and TTC) will be enhanced by first establishing a framework of teacher training standards linked to the development of a Teacher Education Policy. The approved teacher training standards will provide a benchmark for performance monitoring of quality in teacher training. The institutional capacity of TTCs and NIE will be strengthened through a management leadership training program designed to support institutional directors and deputy directors in the implementation of quality standards, institutional improvement planning, curriculum review procedures and performance monitoring of quality in teacher training. Institutional strengthening will include a component in the leadership training course focused on building professional research capacity within each faculty.

142. It is planned that a systematic procedure for review and revision of the teacher training content and methodology will be introduced to ensure that the changes to the school curriculum are integrated into the pre-service teacher training program and that appropriate teaching and learning methodology is used in the delivery of the curriculum. The procedure will also involve TTD in the review of in-service teacher training programs to ensure consistency in content and methodology. The revised teacher training curriculum will include the enhancement of action research as a training and professional development methodology. The quality of teacher training programs will be further enhanced through the implementation of an improved system of teacher training performance monitoring, including a review of the methods used in the assessment of student teacher competencies, Teacher trainer competencies and quality assurance of teacher training programs will be evaluated against Teacher Training Standards. These activities will ultimately contribute towards an improved system of accreditation of teacher qualifications and continuing professional development.

Output 2.2: Teacher training institutions facilities, including ICT, upgraded

143. Teacher training facilities will be improved through a program of construction and rehabilitation of buildings, as well as provision of equipment and resources to enable the full functioning of each facility. An initial assessment of existing facilities and other planned physical facilities programs will be undertaken to identify the specific requirement of each teacher training institution. The assessment will determine the scale and scope of activity needed, including the equipment and resource needs of each institution where construction is completed or is planned from another source. The design includes construction or the upgrading of one dormitory facility for female students which will be targeted at an institution prioritized to increase enrollment of females and students from disadvantaged areas. The design also includes provision for a learning centre which will be modeled on the existing resource centre concept to include the construction and equipping of a library and multimedia centre, a study room for teachers, a computer lab and a classroom for teaching practical science. The outcome will be the improved quality of all teacher training facilities to enable the full delivery of a curriculum including use of multimedia resources. Teacher trainers and trainee teachers will be provided with the resources through which to develop skills in practical teaching and learning methodologies and the resources to undertake professional research studies.

Output 2.3: Increased enrollment in teacher training programs of females and students from disadvantaged areas in LS and US teacher training programs

144. Scholarships will be provided for female teacher trainees and for students from disadvantaged areas, teaching instructional materials in NIE and RTTC will be revised to redress the balance towards gender equality. 60 percent of the 500 scholarships will be for females. Facilities of teacher training institutions (e.g., NIE and RTTC) will be improved to provide a safe and secure environment for female teachers and teacher trainees.

Output 2.4: Skills and competencies of teacher trainers in the pre-service teacher training program improved

145. Skills and competencies of teacher trainers in the pre-service teacher training program will be improved by first conducting a comprehensive training needs analysis (TNA). The TNA will be used to develop the planned training programs corresponding to trainer competency criteria described in the Teacher Training Standards and in the Teacher Standards. The skills and competencies already identified as priority areas for the professional development of teacher trainers have led to the inclusion of training programs to enhance training skills through a Training of Trainers (TOT) course, multimedia instructional materials, development skills training including use of ICT in the classroom, and training in Basic English competency for teacher trainers. The research capacity of teacher trainers will be enhanced through an action research initiative linked to a proposed NIE research program and linked to the inclusion of action research and reflective teaching in the revised teacher training methodology.

146. The skills and competencies of lower and upper secondary school teachers will be improved by first drawing up a comprehensive five year teacher training plan through which all teacher training activities planned through the project and other projects will be coordinated. A baseline study of teacher training needs will be undertaken linked to teacher competencies and Teacher Standards. This will provide the detailed information on levels of teacher qualification required to prioritize training to target groups. It will assist in locating the most disadvantaged districts in terms of the number of under-qualified teachers and lower than average number of female teachers. It will also provide information from which to quantify the competency levels of teachers to determine their English language, ICT and science training needs.

147. Upgrade/retraining programs will be developed and delivered to an estimated 14400 under-qualified secondary school teachers in disadvantaged areas. It is anticipated that the course will include multimedia instructional materials. This rests on the assumption that the technology and the capacity of the course planners is adequate and that the course participants will have access to the necessary multimedia resources. It is also anticipated that the training model will include a face-to-face workshop module and school-based practical assignments such as action research. The planned school network and training of school-based technical group leaders have the potential to be tailored to provide on-going support for under-qualified teachers through a system of mentoring.

148. A training program will be developed to enhance the English Language skills of upper secondary school teachers using a decentralized school-based model. Ideally the English language course will be based on a course book, interactive CD and audio cassette developed in the first year of the project, taught by the English Language teacher in the school in classes held for 2 hours a week over a 2 year period. A system of incentive payments to participants and trainers will need to be developed for this decentralized school-based training model. A training program will be developed to train upper secondary school teachers in the use of multimedia instructional materials including ICT. The model will be similar to that outlined for English language skills training.A training programme will be developed to enhance the identified upper secondary school science teachers competencies.

149. The use of multi-media modalities for teacher education will be developed, initially through the TTD. The first step will be to develop a comprehensive plan for the expansion of facilities and the development of technical capacity within relevant departments. The plan will define the links and responsibilities that will be necessary between TTD, PRD and Information and ASEAN Affairs Department (IAAD). The development of the multi-media modality for teacher education will support the delivery of some training activities through use of interactive computer-based learning materials and video. One issue needing consideration in the initial stages of multi-media development will be the disparity in access to multimedia resources across the country. Upgrading facilities will need to be coordinated with the implementation of teacher training programs which include a multi-media modality.

150. Multi-media instructional materials can be developed through technical capacity building of teacher trainers and curriculum developers so that they are aware of the potential of multi-media and the ways in which curriculum materials can be prepared. On-the-job training will provide the opportunity for trainers to develop instructional materials for use in selected courses in this project. In parallel with the development of instructional materials it is essential that the corresponding systems of academic and administrative support are developed and implemented, including distribution of materials, completion of assignments, record keeping and student support. The implementation of multi-media components in teacher training programs will be monitored to evaluate their effectiveness in improving quality and in contributing towards meeting the challenge of out-reach to the more disadvantaged areas of the country where access to teacher training opportunities are limited.

151. The major outputs of this component will be: (i) enhanced management capacity of teacher training institutions; (ii) upgraded facilities including information and communication technology at TTCs; (iii) increased enrolment in teacher training programs of females and students from disadvantaged areas; (iv) improved skills and competencies of teacher trainers in the pre-service teacher training program; (iv) improved teaching skills and competencies of secondary teachers; and (v) the use of multi-media modalities for teacher education developed.

152. The objective of this component is to strengthen secondary education opportunities through providing scholarships, upgrading facilities, providing textbooks, a new curriculum and improving school-based assessment.

153. Under ESDP II some progress has been made in preparing a development plan for secondary education. This plan is focused towards providing a context for the construction of secondary schools under ESDP II. The framework for the Secondary Education Development Plan being prepared by the DGSE identifies improvement areas underpinned by a number of strategies to enhance the quality of secondary education. With the aid of additional resources this output will build on the current planning exercise and further clarify the current status of the secondary system and alternative scenarios for the future in a draft plan paying attention to quality issues. It will set these scenarios firmly within a sector-wide setting. The final report will provide a solid basis for future development in the secondary sub-sector and cover five broad areas: (i) enhancing the skills of the secondary education workforce; (ii) strengthening the secondary school support structures within MOEYS; (iii) ongoing secondary school improvement; (iv) supporting secondary teaching, learning and enhancing facilities, (v) resources and funding for secondary education. The school networks and core school concepts will be included in the SEDP.

Output 3.2: Secondary school networks strengthened, school management strengthened and school improvement planning introduced.

154. Secondary school networks will be established during the first period of the project closely linked to activities to strengthen school management and to introduce school improvement planning. Secondary school networks will be established at 30 locations to develop and sustain teacher competencies through professional development activities. Resource schools will be identified to support these networks. These schools are in addition to the resource schools and networks to be provided by ESDP II. Provision will be made to ensure that as far as possible all resource schools are equally resourced. A manual of work procedures will be developed and a workshop will be part of the establishment of networks in selected locations.

155. The leadership training program for USS Directors will include a module to introduce processes of school improvement planning linked to a school self-assessment model. Elements of the leadership training program will focus on facility and resource management, performance monitoring and achievement of minimum quality standards, school-based support for the professional development of teachers including mentoring for under-qualified teachers and school-based induction programs for newly qualified teachers. Other elements include optimal use of textbooks and other instructional materials including ICT and multimedia learning resources, gender sensitization and implementation of the gender policy for education, equitable access to learning opportunities for all children, student retention, student assessment and careers guidance.

156. The skills and competencies of school and network-based resource teachers will be enhanced through a training of trainers program. The training program will be designed to have a school-based focus. Part of the training activities will be undertaken by the participants in their schools through practical application of new skills and knowledge, using methodologies such as action research and peer evaluation.

Output 3.3: Increased enrollment in secondary schools of girls and children from disadvantaged areas

139. This output will in particular, contribute towards the reduction of gender disparities and inequity in access to secondary education for children from disadvantaged areas, through increasing net enrollment and transition rates to secondary schools for girls and children from disadvantaged areas. To secure the higher enrollment and transition rate of girls in disadvantaged areas, scholarships for 4,000 bright and disadvantaged students at upper secondary level will be provided and school facilities will be improved so that female teachers and students feel the school environment is safe.

Output 3.4: Secondary school facilities including ICT, laboratories and libraries provided and/or upgraded

157. Learning centers will be provided at 30 resource schools as part of the establishment of secondary school networks. These centers will include a laboratory, ICT room, a multi-media centre and libraries. In order to generate income to cover maintenance, business plans will be developed to allow the ICT facilities to be used as a community resource. All upper secondary schools will be provided with library books and basic learning materials to support the introduction of selected new curriculum.

Output 3.5: Curriculum in priority areas including ICT developed and in use in secondary schools

158. This output will support the development of remaining lower secondary and upper secondary curricula, including EVEP and guidelines for local development of LLSP and the development of grade 12 curriculum standards. It will support dissemination of these curriculum items to schools and across the education system, to ensure teachers, teacher trainers and education managers are familiar with and understand the requirements and philosophy of the new curricula. Following the dissemination teachers will be able to use the material in the new textbooks, teaching guides and other instructional materials in their teaching as they become available.

159. PRD will be supported in developing the selected new curricula and to hold workshops to expedite and focus the process. The support will include printing and dissemination of the new curriculum as part of teachers’ continuing professional development. Reference books, materials and examples of curricula and courses will be procured to enrich and inform processes within PRD.

160. To complement this output, the project will support development of PRD capacity to commission, manage and evaluate textbook and instructional materials development by private publishers and media producers, strengthening the ICT capacity of PRD and the enhancement of pre-service and in-service teacher development, which will both serve as a channel for dissemination of the curricula and reflect the new curricula in the training content and methods.

Output 3.6: Upper secondary schools countrywide have textbooks and teacher's guides

161. The new curriculum is to be written and phased-in from the academic year 2008/09. The shortage of textbooks at upper secondary level will be solved in the interim by buying from the copyright holders, the Publishing and Distribution House (PDH) the current textbooks and teaching materials needed to bring the ratio of books to pupils to 1:2. Sufficient numbers of current textbooks and teacher's manuals will be ordered from the PDH through a negotiated direct purchasing agreement at the start of the project. These books and their delivery, will be paid for by the project PMU and be in the schools by the beginning of school year 2009/10.

Output 3.7: Enhanced capacity of the Pedagogic Research Department and the Education Materials Approval Board

162. The PRD will be supported in its recently adopted role as the body responsible for learning materials in MOEYS. PRD will have responsibility of supporting the appropriate procurement office in putting textbook writing and production out to tender and supporting interested publishers with specifications, information and guidance to enable publishers to develop material suitable for submission to the MOEYS textbook approval process. PRD is also charged with the responsibility for ensuring that learning materials are developed and are on schedule in line with curriculum requirements.

163. PRD will be supported in developing a system to manage and execute this process. Broadly, the PRD will draw up detailed procurement briefs to enable the MOEYS procurement system to request private publishers to develop books to the required specifications and characteristics. The PRD will be the executing body of the existing Prequalification, Evaluation and Award of Contract Committee (PEAC) and Education Materials Approval Board (EMAB) who will ensure transparency and quality in book selection. The publishers will price, print, market and sell their textbooks directly to schools. The schools will hold the budget for textbook purchase, under the decentralized financial system.

164. For PRD, the institutional role will continue to be one of generating the government’s specification of the school curriculum. There will be a significant shift to an expanded role in which PRD maintains responsibility and has a continuing direct relationship with the textbook drafting and approval process, in managing and guiding those who are developing the textbooks. PRD will also be pivotal in maintaining quality by playing a part in approving publishers' products (in the final approval, as part of a broader and higher level committee).

165. The implications for change and development in PRD are significant and the capacity building required will be furnished under the Project. In order to build the capacity of the PRD technical assistance will be mobilized to work alongside PRD staff with concentrated capacity building using counterparts rather than general training. This method of capacity building has been chosen so that the PRD will have the necessary skills to draft procurement documents, write specimen materials and commission books to be supplied by the private sector to tight specifications. It will also have the capacity to organise transparent book evaluation at all levels.

166. Curriculum standards have been developed at grades 3, 6 and 9 and national assessments (standardized tests) in Khmer and Mathematics have, or will be, conducted at grades 3, 6 and 9. These are important steps towards a national system of standards-based assessment that will in turn provide a secure basis for teachers and students to measure student progress and achievement and for evaluation of the quality of education at national, provincial and school level.

167. This output will develop a national assessment and examinations system that is thoroughly standards-based. It is necessary first to produce a national assessment policy that: creates a coherent relationship between different types of assessment; provides for quality assurance of assessment in schools; ensures equity and access; defines the role of ICT and sets out a strategy for the phased strengthening of the Examination Office, with a view to it eventually becoming an independent body. The strengthening of the Examinations Office should include the enhancement of its capacity to use ICT for assessment administration and record keeping.

168. Guidelines and exemplar assessment instruments and examination questions will be developed and used as a basis for training Examinations Office staff and item writers, to set and mark standards-based examinations, secondary teachers to implement standards-based assessment in schools and PRD staff to monitor and evaluate its implementation.

Outputs of component 3

169. The major outputs of this component will be a secondary education development plan; strengthened secondary school networks, secondary school management and secondary school improvement planning; increased enrolment in upper secondary schools of girls and children from disadvantaged areas; upgraded secondary school facilities including information and communication technology, laboratories and libraries; a new curriculum in secondary schools; textbooks and teacher's guides provided to upper secondary schools countrywide; enhanced capacity of the PRD and EMAB; and assessment of student achievement in secondary education based on curriculum standards.

170. The project investment cost is estimated at $33.40 million equivalent, including physical and price contingencies, taxes and duties (Table 1).

171. The grant proceeds will be used to finance civil works; procurement of books and instructional materials, vehicles, equipment and furniture; scholarships; consulting services; training, workshops and technical meetings. The proceeds will not finance salaries of regular project staff, rental of office space, taxes and duties. Detailed cost estimates and the financing plan are outlined in Appendix 17. a Includes taxes and duties of US$1.2 million b In May 2007 prices c Physical contingencies computed at5 percent for all expenditure categories; price contingencies computed at 4 percent on local currency costs and 2 percent on foreign exchange costs. d Not applicable for grant financing under the Project.

Source: Financial Analyst Estimates

172. The Government has requested a grant of US$27.1 million from ADB’s Special Funds resources to help finance the Project. ADB will finance 81 percent of the project costs. The Government will finance the remaining 19 percent of US$6.3 million as counterpart financing. The summary of the financing plan is in Table 2.